Actuating mechanism for aircraft extensible flaps



March 2, 1954 E. H. REPLOGLE ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR AIRCRAFT EXTENSIBLE FLAPS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 1, 1950 YIINVENTOR. Edward .H. Rep/0,012

I ATTORNEYS.

March 2, 1954 REPLOGLE 2,670,909

ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR AIRCRAFT EXTENSIIBLE FLAPS Filed March 1, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVENTOR.

Edward H Rep/op/e' BY @M,MM

ATTORN EYS.

Patented Mar. 2, 19 54 ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR AIRCRAFT EXTENSIBL E FLAPS Edward H. Replogle, Kenmore, N. Y., assignor to Bell Aircraft Corporation, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application March 1', 1950Q Serial No. 146,947 3 Claims. (cl. 244-42) This invention relates to actuating mechanisms for aircraft control surfaces or airfoils such as are referred to as flaps, ailerons, andthe like.

sore particularly, the invention relates to an improved control surface actuating means such as is particularly suited to high speed aircraft wherein relatively thin wing or fin and control surfaces are employed and wherein it is particularly undesirable to permit the control surface actuating mechanism to extend 'exteriorly of the airfoil contours, although great mechanical advantage and strength is required in the actuating mechanism because of the intensive loads thereon due to high speed operation.

It is an object of the present invention to providean improved aircraft control surface actuating mechanism which embodies maximum mechanical advantage characteristics in combination with optimum compactness of structure and operating mechanism.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved control surface actuator'mechanism as aforesaid, and which is resistant to flexure and free from binding or jamming tendencies when operating under excessive loads and/or subsequent to service wearing of component parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism embodying the features and advantages aforesaid in a structure which is mechanically simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and which is readily adaptable to redesign to suit various applications.

"Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism embodying the features aforesaid which furthermore is adaptable to use within relatively thin airfoil surfaces, such as where dimensional limitations preclude use of conventional crank and link type actuating mechanisms.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the specification hereinafter.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a wing and fiap structure and flap actuating mechanism of the invention which is adapted to simultaneously clisplace a nd angularly adjust the flap relative to the wing;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section, on an enlarged scale, taken along line IIII of Fig. 1:

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view, on an enlarged scale, of Figs. 1-2;

vFig. 4' is a fragmentary section, on an enlarged scale, taken along line IV-IV of Fig. 1;

one of the actuator elements of of the invention which provides only angular adjustment of the flap; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the mechanism of Fig. 5. The invention is illustrated in Figs. 1-4 in con-- junction with an aircraft fixed Wing structure indicated generally at l0 and including spaced spar'members l2-l4.' A movable flap member If; is illustrated to include paired brackets l8-l9 at intervals spanwise thereof which'engage upon diametrically extending pin portions 20 of yokes 22 which rotatably mountupon stub I shafts 24 (Fig; 2) which extend integrally from chordwise disposed torque tubes 26. The tubes 26 are journalled in axially slidable relation in spherical bearings 28-49 carried by the spar members l2-l4 so as to be rotatable thereon as 1 well as longitudinally displaceable in directions I parallel to the wing chord.

Thus, the flap member I6 is hingedly mounted-- upon the yoke members 22 which are carried at the rear ends of the tubes 26, for vertical swing ing movements about the hinge axesof the yoke pins 20; as well as being thereby carried by'the tubes 26 for bodily displacement'of the flap IS in chordwise directions in response to controlled displacements of the tubes 26. At their rear ends the stub shafts 24 are fitted with control horns 30 which are rigidly keyed to th ends of the cor- I.

responding stub shafts 2B and are so shaped as r to extend obliquely therefrom laterally and rearwardly. At their rear ends the horns 30 are formed. with roller knobs 32 which fit into arcuate track grooves 34 of bracket plates 36 which are suitably supported to extend between struca tural frame members 38 of the flap member l6. 1-

The curves of the track grooves 34 are so ar ranged as to coincide with the sweep of the horn rollers 32 incidental to rotations of the tubes 26 when the parts are so assembled and arranged that the flap I6 is thereby actuated to pivot be-. a

tween the solid line and broken line positions thereof as illustrated in Fig. 2. Thus, the flap I6 is mounted upon the ends of the tubes 26 so as to be pivotable about the axis of the yok pins 20 for angle of attack adjustments of the flap l6 while at the same time being displaceable bodily in chord-wise direction upon controlled axial movements of the tube 26 for wing slot opening and closing operations.

To control the tubes 26 they are each provided with an integral crank arm 43 which carries a freely rotatable pin 42 to extend therethrough in a direction parallel to the tube 26; the pin'42 'being positionally maintained on the crank arm end portion 49 of a link 50 which pivotally connects at its other end by means of a pin 52 to a stationary bracket 54 of the wing structure. A power link-.156 sis: also pivotally :connected at one end to the-pin 52; and she linklbB pivotally;in-

terconnects the links 50 and 56 by means of pin connections Gil-'52 (Fig. 3). The swinging ends. portions of the links 56 areinterconnected by means of tie rods 64 (Fig. 1) and-a pushi-pull member 65 is pivotally connected thereto'and also to a rocker 6'! which is pivotally; actuated by; J

means of a hydraulic jack Til; wherebyalllof thee links spanwise of the wing are actuated in .uni-

son. When the device is cperated'to'procure piv oting of the links 59 in counterclockwise zdirec-t tion as viewed in Fig. 3 upon their pivots 52, this action causes the tubes26 to be forced to displace axially in rearwardly direction asviewed in.Fig., from the solid line positions of the links 59 toward the broken line positions thereof, whereby the :tubes ZB-are displaced rearwardly to open the air slot between the main wing and the flap it... However, because 'of the link pivot connections. 52,.thecontrol arms Stare simult'aneouslycausedT. to-swingthrough arcs and over as intothe broken lineposition thereof shown in Fig. 3, whereby the 39 tierods .58 pull upon'the linksz'all so as to displace themastothe left as viewed in Fig. 3, thereby, causing simultaneous rotations of the torque tubes. 26:-in.such..manner .as todisplace the .horns .38.

toward the left and downwardly so asto depress.

the-fiapJ6 about its hingev axis asdefined bythe. yoke p ins..2fl.- Thus, it will be appreciated that operationof the hydraulic jacklii will procure displacement of the flap lfi-rearwardly so asto. I

flap, while at the same time.procuringdownward pivoting of. the flap l6 into airstrearn deflected position, ,as illustrated-by broken lines Fig. 2.. Then,.,upon: reverse. operation of the'jack ill, the.

flap will pivot upwardly and move .tocclose the slots.

It is apartioular featureand advantage, of the: inventionthat each tuberand. horn unit of the invention maybe shaped and dimensioned so .as

tdubereadily disposed entirely-within thersece tional profile of-the main wing and flap struc tures, evenwthough' suchstructures are of relae. tively: thin sectional dimensions. Thus; the invention-is particularlyadaptable to high speed 7 aircraft :wherein the wing-flap structures are-:

necessarily oi thin sectioned form.-

Figs: 5 andTG' illustrate application of --.the flap? actuating mechanism to a non-slotting type wing? flap combination comprising :a mainwingstruc-etu-rer lw'and'i a flap" 82. includes. spar membersBA-SB uponrwhich'are': mounted bearings 8'! journalling a'seriesof par-r alllftorque: tubes 88 as in .themannerfofrtha mounting of the tubes 26 in'Figs.-12',-except that'intheecase'of Figs. 546 the torque-tubes.

are suit'ably anchored against. axialdisplace r ments relativeto the wing. structure; Atttheiri rear. ends the tubes 1 88 are slip-fittedthroughyokeimembers 89 which include aligned"pinst9li-- extending into pivotal. connections with. bracket. devices: 9 l-92 extending from the frame structure-ofthe=-flap 82. Thus, theflap isrmounted forhinging movement relative to the wing-3n for. wing lift control purposes.

Atith'eircrearends the tubes .88. airefittedwith.

The wing structure 4. horns 94 which extend laterally and rearwardly therefrom in oblique direction and terminate in end rollers 95 which are disposed within arcuate track grooves 96 of bearing plates 91. The plates 97 are anchored within the flap frame structure, such as by being connected to flap ribs 98, and are so disposed that the sweep of the horn rollers Sdzmaintaim the-latter ivithin.the:,-.track grooves o. .the.bearing. plates aspthetorque tubes,.-88 are rotated in their bearings by any suitable means such as shown, for example, in Figs. 1 and 2, and inrsuch mannenas. to swing the flap between neutralanddefiected positions, as illustrated by the solidand broken line showings thereof in Fig.-;5.: Thus it willbehnderstood that the apparatuscoflzFigss 5-I.-.6Jiwil1 provide wing lift control operation of .the flap 82 without opening or closirig an air slot between the wing and the flap.

Thusgsit will be appreciated that the invention features a flap actuating gear of such type as to. .be unusually; strong and rugged while being at the: same time. adapted to be completely enclosed within relatively shallow airfoil sectionsas-is of major importance in connection with highhave been shown and described in detail it will lee-apparent tothoseskilled in the art that the invention is not .so limited but that various, changes maybe made therein-without departing from the spirit of the invention .or the scope of the appended claims.-

I claim:

1. In an airplane, in. combination, structure, arelatively; rigid control surface trailing said wing structure,-;and a control surface support and control mechanism comprising a'strut member mounted upon said wing structure to ex- A tend substantially chordwise thereof while being openanair slot between the main wing and the controllably rotatable and axially displaceable thereon, meanshinging said control surface to the rear end-portion of said strut member to permit vertical pivotal movement of said surface relativetosaid-wing structure for wing-lift contrack portion arcuately shaped longitudinally of the-said surf-acettoqcoincide with'the sweep of the free end of the horn as the latter is rotated and constituting-the-sole contacting and actuating portion in contact with the horn whereby rotation of said strut'niember causes the rear end of 'therhorn.toctraverseisaid track and thereby alternately; elevate and depress said surface as a unit about its hingeaxis, and pilot-controlled means-operableto-cause saidstrut member to simultaneously;rotate and move axially to said wing structure to procure simultaneous pivoting movementsofsaid surface .andair slot control movements: thereof relative-to said wing struc-- ture;

2. .Thastructure of claim 1 wherein the control surface is a hollow structure and has stiff upper and lower walls, thefront'edgeportion of the said hollow structure -.being;. formed with an opening,

through Whichthehorn and the strut carrying thehorn enterithe saidhollowstructure, the bears ing means engaged by the rear end of the horn;

being .ablock rigidly mountedrin the said hollow structure back of..the.. opening in the front edge portion thereof and ,havinga front surfacearcuiate longitudinallygof the said control surface-and 5 provided with a longitudinally extending track in which the rear end of the horn slidably engages.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein the control surface is a hollow structure and has still upper and lower walls and frame members in the hollow structure extending between front and rear edges of the control surface and disposed in transversely spaced relation to each other, the front edge portion of one wall being formed with an opening located between the frame members and through which the horn and the strut enter the hollow structure, the bearing means engaged by the horn being a stiff block rigidly mounted N Number Name 5 end of the horn slidably engages.

EDWARD H. REPLOGLE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Date 1,823,069 Stroop Sept. 15, 1931 2,153,667 Hoekstra Apr. 11, 1939 2,451,009 Williams Oct. 12, 1948 

